Gemma is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in Dept of Sociology. She has 20 years experience of research and lecturing in the broad areas of social justice, substance (mis)use, applied social care research and critical criminological theory. She has practice experience of working with people (and their families) with experience of substance (mis)use and the criminal justice system.
She has written many publications including: journal articles; website content; book chapters; reports for various organisations, local authorities and national charities.
She was a founding member of both national and international substance use and associated behaviours (SUAB) networks.
Current and recent research projects include;
*Through the Prison Gate: Holding Families Plus Project. Source: Public Health England, Department of Work and Pensions and Early Break. Principal Investigator.
*Developing A New Model Of Care For People With Problematic Substance Use And End Of Life Care Needs Source: National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Co-Investigator, Qualitative Research Lead.
*End of life care and substance use - mixed methods across 6 research strands. Source: The Big Lottery Fund Co-Investigator, Family Work Package Lead.
Research Methods
Gemma uses mixed methods but has expertise in qualitative participatory research with people with experiences (PWEs) of the substance use and criminal justice. Gemma’s research designs include PWEs, families, key informants, policy agents and practitioners. Gemma is experienced in leading, managing and undertaking research for funding councils, statutory and non-statutory organisations in the field of applied health and social care.
Selected Recent Publications
McVeigh, J., Chandler, M.D., and Yarwood, G. (In Press 2021) ‘Chapter 6: Exercise and the use of image & performance enhancing drugs within the gym environment’. In : O. Corazza and H Bowden- Jones (ed) From exercise to addiction: The fitspirational era of image and performance enhancement. Cambridge University Press.
Wright, S. and Yarwood, G. (In Press 2021) ‘Chapter 13: When long-term recovery isn’t an option: people at the end of life’. In: Galvani, S., Roy, A., and Clayson, A. Long-term recovery from substance use: International perspectives. Policy Press: Bristol.
Higgs, P, Yarwood, G, Webb, L and Witham, G and Galvani, S (2020) Highlighting the palliative care needs of people using drugs. Collegian: The Australian Journal of Nursing Practice, Scholarship and Research. ISSN 1322-7696
Galvani, S. and Yarwood, G. (2019) ‘Chapter 21: End-of-Life Care: alcohol and other drugs.’ In: D. Cooper (ed.) Palliative care within mental health: ethical practice. Book 3. London: Routledge
Witham, G., Yarwood, G., Wright, S., and Galvani, S. (2019). An ethical exploration of the narratives surrounding substance use and pain management at the end of life: a discussion paper. Nursing Ethics
I enjoy bringing teaching to life with real world examples from my research and practice experience. I see my teaching legacy as giving students a feel for criminology in practice: what it’s like, what’s important and how we can make a difference to other peoples’ lives. One of the best parts of teaching is inviting alumni graduates back in as visiting speakers, it really motivates existing students to develop employability skills.
If you’re thinking about learning with us, spend time preparing and reading around the topics of criminal justice, substance use etc, Observe some criminology in action yourself by volunteering at a cjs charity, visiting a local court, speaking to practitioners such as police, probation officers, substance use services etc. Hopefully, it will inspire you and bring your studies to life. And not forgetting, keep up to date with current affairs as things never stand still in our field so you need to keep your finger on the pulse.
I’m approachable, supportive and try to make learning interesting. My aim is to prepare students for the real world so they become independent critical thinkers.
I teach using a variety of methods and like to keep up to date with teaching and learning technologies.
PhD Social Psychology,
BSc Hons Sociology
Strategic Partnership Lead: Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust & Manchester Met University 2016-2019
A partnership to accelerate improvements in community and mental health care
I have Programme Leader experience managing curriculum development for teaching and learning excellence.
I have a teacher training qualification and a wealth of teaching experience spanning 20 years including:
I teach on the MA in Applied Criminology. Previous Postgraduate teaching includes MA in Health and Social care. MSc in Practitioner Research,
I supervise a range of PhD students which presently include:
An Interpretive Phenomenological analysis of South Asian families intergenerational care practices and expectations.
Hands up and hand-outs: an exploration of participation in voluntary welfare provision in relation to individual and community resilience in contexts of austerity and social exclusion: Using IPA in an ethnographic study.
Kinship care and parental substance use: developing responsive and effective services: A Co-prodcutive participatory study. (VC awarded Scholarship Funding)
Parental substance use, child protection and social work responses: A qualitative study using grounded theory.
Exploring reasons for clients’ non-attendance of appointment at a community-based alcohol service: clients’ and practitioners’ perspectives. Mixed Methods study.
External Examiner on Joint Honours BA Society - Contemporary Health Studies, Northumbria University
External Examiner of BA (Hons) Integrated Health and Social Care, Northumbria University
Gemma uses mixed methods but has expertise in qualitative participatory research with people with experiences (PWEs) of the substance use and criminal justice. Gemma’s research designs include PWEs, families, key informants, policy agents and practitioners. Gemma is experienced in leading, managing and undertaking research for funding councils, statutory and non-statutory organisations in the field of applied health and social care.
Current research projects
*Through the Prison Gate: Holding Families Plus Project. Source: Public Health England, Department of Work and Pensions and Early Break. Principal Investigator.
*Developing A New Model Of Care For People With Problematic Substance Use And End Of Life Care Needs Source: National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Co-Investigator, Qualitative Research Lead.
*End of life care and substance use - mixed methods across 6 research strands. Source: The Big Lottery Fund Co-Investigator, Family Work Package Lead.
*Partners of Prisoners - mixed methods project. Principal Investigator, Community Research Award
Co-Lead Substance Use and Associated Behaviours collaboration, La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia.
Steering Group Through the prison Gate Public Health England research
Specialist Interest Group member for substance use - European Social Work Research
Substance Use and Associated Behaviours (SUAB) Founding member
J. McVeigh, G. Bates, GA. Yarwood (2023). The use of anabolic androgenic steroids as a public health issue. A. Henning, J. Andreasson. In: Doping in Sport and Fitness. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.71-91.
G. Witham, S. Galvani, S. Wright, G. Yarwood (2022). Substance Use, End-of-Life Care and Multiple Deprivation Practice and Research. Routledge.
G. Witham, G. Yarwood, S. Wright, S. Galvani (2020). An ethical exploration of the narratives surrounding substance use and pain management at the end of life: a discussion paper. Nursing Ethics. 27(5), pp.1344-1354.
G. Witham, S. Galvani, S. Wright, G. Yarwood (2022). Substance Use, End-of-Life Care and Multiple Deprivation Practice and Research. Routledge.
G. Witham, G. Yarwood, S. Wright, S. Galvani Troubling the narratives surrounding substance use and pain management at the end of life: “It’s just drug seeking behaviour isn’t it?”. Nursing Ethics.
G. Witham, G. Yarwood, S. Wright, S. Galvani (2020). An ethical exploration of the narratives surrounding substance use and pain management at the end of life: a discussion paper. Nursing Ethics. 27(5), pp.1344-1354.
GA. Yarwood (2013). Talking about the personal: a pregnant researcher's experience of studying working parents in the UK. Families, Relationships and Societies. 2(3), pp.441-455.
GA. Yarwood (2012). Making Modern Mothers. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY. 22(4), pp.559-561.
GA. Yarwood (2011). The Pick and Mix of Fathering Identities. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research, and Practice about Men as Fathers. 9(2), pp.150-168.
GA. Yarwood, JC. Fisher (2008). Connecting Not Competing with Others: Raising Awareness of Wellbeing. Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health,. 128,
G. Yarwood, J. McVeigh, MD. chandler Exercise and the use of image & performance enhancing drugs within the gym environment. In: The body in the mind. Cambridge university press,
J. McVeigh, G. Bates, GA. Yarwood (2023). The use of anabolic androgenic steroids as a public health issue. A. Henning, J. Andreasson. In: Doping in Sport and Fitness. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.71-91.
S. Galvani, L. Webb, GA. Yarwood, S. Wright, C. Dance, et al. (2019). Symposium: Who Cares? Palliative and End of Life Care for people who use or have used, substances In: DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW. pp.S6-S6.
Yarwood, G.A. Wright, S. Templeton, L. & Galvani, S. (2018) Using secondary analysis of qualitative data in social work research and practice to explore end of life care for families of people with substance problems. 8th European Conference for Social Work Research, Edinburgh, UK. 18-20 April 2018.
Yarwood, G.A., Wright, S., Galvani, S & Webb, L. (2017) Meet the Experts : End of life care for people using alcohol and drugs, 15th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care, Madrid, Spain, 18-20th May 2017.
Yarwood, G.A., Wright, S., Templeton, L. & Galvani, S. (2017) ‘Just another addict’ Family experiences of end of life care for people using alcohol and drugs, 15th World Congress
of the European Association for Palliative Care, Madrid, Spain, 18-20th May 2017.
Yarwood, G.A., Wright, S. & Templeton, L. (2017) ‘What can we do for our mum?’ Family experiences of end of life care for relatives with substance problems: implications for social work education, 7th European Conference for Social Work Research, Aalborg University, Denmark, 19-21 April 2017.
Yarwood. G.A., King, M. & Tan, JP (2016) Building community capacity between grandparents, parents and health practitioners to improve children’s school readiness : A UK case study. Work-Family Researchers Network Conference, Washington D.C, USA, 22-25 June 2016.
King, M., Tan, JP. & Yarwood. G.A (2015) There's no one quite like grandma (or grandpa) BPS Community Psychology Festival, Manchester, UK 20th-21st November 2015.
Fisher, J., Yarwood. G.A. & Mitchell-Smith, Z. (2015) UK/Hungary Knowledge Exchange in Social Care – experiences of partnership working, Research Institute for Health and Social Change Annual Conference, Manchester, UK, 1-2 July
Yarwood, G.A. (2015) Practice challenges when working with‘troubled’ families, Changing Families, Intergenerational Ties & Social Integration Across Continents, The future orientation of research & practice, University of Putra, Malaysia, Manchester Metropolitan Unviersity, Uk 2-5 June 2015.
Yarwood, G.A. (2015) Community, work and home as discursively meaningful interview spaces, The
6th International Community, Work & Family Conference – Malmo, 20-22 May 2015
Yarwood, G. (2014) "'I feel so tired I could sleep for days': Working parents, work-family reconciliation policy and practice", The British Psychological Society Annual Conference, ICC, Birmingham, 7-9 May. BPS Funded Symposium entitled Advice, policy and the negotiation of 'good parenting' on behalf of the Social Psychology Section
Yarwood, G. (2013) "Working towards a new generation of collaborative knowledge exchange about teaching work-life balance", CARPE, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK 4-6 November 2013
Yarwood, G. (2013) "Working mothers, vomiting children and cancelled childcare - Disrupting gendered care/work arrangements", Psychology of Women Section, Annual Conference, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK, 10-12 July
Yarwood, G., Yianni, C. & Ogilvie, H. (2013) "Do the write thing: Three PhD experiences of debunking the myth of writers block", Research Institute for Health and Social Change 9th Annual Conference, Manchester, UK, 4-5 July
Yarwood, G. (2013) "A critical examination of caring and working within UK work-family reconciliation policy agenda", Neoliberalism in 21st century Conference, Manchester, UK, 4 June
Yarwood, G.A. (2013) "Embodying Motherhood: Doing Pregnancy, Doing Research"
Femininities and Masculinities 3rd Global Conference, Prague, Czechoslovakia,
Yarwood, G., Yianni, C. & Ogilvie, H. (2012) "The Ascent of Mount PhD", Research Institute for Health and Social Change 8th Annual Conference, Manchester, UK, 2-3 July
Yarwood G. 2010. "Money talks - Studying working parents accounts of parental leave and employment" at: Changing families in a Changing World International Conference, Edinburgh: UK.
Yarwood G. 2010. "Unlocking & writing up qualitative data, searching for the elusive golden key" at: Research Institute for Health & Social Change, MMU. Manchester, UK.
Yarwood G. 2009. "In pursuit of work-family harmonisation: Experiences of piecing the jigsaw together" at: Third International Community, Work and Family Conference. Utrecht, Netherlands..
Yarwood G. 2009. "And now my life has changed in oh so many ways." A discursive investigation into the variability of working parent identities" at: Research Institute for Health & Social Change, MMU. Manchester, UK..
Yarwood G., Fisher J. 2008. "Experiences of Teaching Wellbeing" at: International Interdisciplinary Congress of Womens, Women's Worlds, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain.
Yarwood G. 2008. "Working 9 to 5: What a way to make a living" at: Research Institute for Health & Social Change, MMU. Manchester, UK.
Galvani, S., Yarwood, G.A. & Webb, L (2020) Healthy ageing for people with drug use experiences. Burnett Insitute, La Trobe University, Melbourne Australia. https://www.vaada.org.au/event/healthy-ageing-end-of-life-care-for-people-with-drug-use-experiences-feb-12-2020/
Social Care Conference (2016) Manchester Metropolitan University, UK 25 April 2016
Research Institute for Health and Social Change (2015), Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Postgraduate Conference (2015) Critical Discursive psychology in action: Methodological challenges, The
6th International Community, Work & Family Conference – Malmo, Sweden. 19 May 2015
I am a NIHR peer review for clinical research network for grants and bids
Research grants include;
KE Income:
La Trobe University Melbourne and Manchester Met University, Collaboration on Substance Use and Associated Behaviours. £5,000.
University of Putra, Malaysia. Leadership and Human Development Learning Collaboration £20,000.Co-lead
University of Songdaal, Norway, Social Care collaboration, £20,000. Principal Investigator.
Humanities in The Public, Work and Family Law & Practice - £1000. Principal Investigator
International EU - Hungary Health and Social Care Leadership and management overseas training - £4000. Co-Investigator.
Community Research Award: Partners of Prisoners
REF 2021 assessment Submitted Impact case study Unit of Assessment: C20 Social Work and Social Policy
Title of case study: Improving and developing care for people using substances: supporting professionals and marginalised communities.
The Future of Social Care: National Carers week (2015) Pure FM Radio
Exemplary researcher award - July 2016 Manchester Metropolitan University.
Community Research Award - Partners of Prisoners Research Project 2017
NIHR peer review for clinical research network for grants and bids
International Journal of Innovative Interdisciplinary Research
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities
Reviewer
International Journal for Harm Reduction.
Community, Work and Family
Feminism and Psychology
Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research